Every year, during the month of February, ArtForms Artists Association organizes and produces For the Love of Art Month, coordinating with art galleries, artist studios, and art spaces throughout town in a celebration of the Arts. ArtForms is taking a break this year, but that doesn’t mean the event is canceled. Far from it. Many of the galleries, studios, and art spaces are forging forward, with special exhibits, reflecting the vibrancy, diversity, history and culture of art in southern New Mexico. Anybody can engage and surprises await around every corner. This year, For the Love of Art Month continues on, February 3 – 28, 2023.
For the Love of Art Month Exhibitions
On Friday, February 3, the Doña Ana Arts Council hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome them to their new home at 230 S. Water Street. Both the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce will be on hand at 5 p.m. to do the honors. An opening reception for the exhibition Vindication, Restoration, and New Beginnings will take place afterward.
Over in the Mesquite district, Gallery 925, at 925 N. Mesquite St., will hold its For Love of Art Painting and Photography exhibit, from 1 – 8 p.m. Close to 30 artists will take part in the exhibition, including Nancy Frost Begin, Emmitt Booher, Shaunna Foster, David Sorensen, Mel Stone, Jean Wilkey, and many more.
Also opening on February 3, and running through February 28, is an exhibit by the Southern Chapter of the New Mexico Watercolor Society, at the Frame and Art Center, located at 1100 S. Main Street. Come and meet the artists and enjoy refreshments at the reception on February 3, from 4 – 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, on February 10, In Effect Gallery, located at 3390 Apple Cross Place, will kick off its annual Erotica Show from 6 – 10 p.m. The show itself will run Saturday and Sunday, February 11 & 12, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
For the Love of Art Month Performances
The Las Cruces Ukes, a nonprofit community group of ukulele enthusiasts, present two free concerts in February as part of For the Love of Art Month. The first takes place Thursday, February 9, at 6:30 p.m. at Good Samaritan – Las Cruces Village’s social center downstairs auditorium, 3011 Buena Vida Circle off Telshor Boulevard. The second is downtown on Saturday, February 11, at 2 p.m. at the Branigan Cultural Center. Come for the farmers and crafts market and stay for the music! The Branigan Cultural Center is located at 501 N. Main Street with parking on Water Street.
This is just a handful of the events taking place throughout the city. Other shows can be found on our February event page under Exhibitions. When it comes to the arts, Las Cruces may not have the clout and financial backing of Santa Fe or Taos, but the artists who live and work here take their art just as seriously as those living in northern Art Meccas.
From traditional mediums to cutting edge experimentations, the full array of works falling under the umbrella term “Art” are explored and presented, making it a unique experience for art collectors, patrons and everyday folk with an interest in creative expression. Although ArtForms isn’t officially holding the event, they are still very much in support of those who will continue on with the tradition. To find out who else is involved, check out the ArtForms Facebook page.
Posted by LasCruces.com
